Dell Products Inc.

Dell USA L P

Dell Prodcuts L.p.

Ronald D Shaw

La Vaughn F Watts, Jr

Andrew Thomas Sultenfuss

Nathan Wiscombe

Darrell M Hunt

A card interface direction detection system includes a card. A power pin is mounted to the card and connected to a power source. A ground pin is mounted to the card and connected to a ground. A direction pin is mounted to the card. A controller is coupled to an information handling system (IHS) and that includes an in node and an out node that are each connected to the direction pin. The in node is directly connected to the direction pin and a resistor is located between the out node and the direction pin such that a signal sent through out node results in a signal received through the in node that allows the controller to detect whether the mode of operation of the card is supported by the IHS.

Card interface direction detection system

Interoperable firmware for an information handling system supports embedded controller and chipset operations from a common SPI flash ROM. The embedded controller is disposed between the chipset and the flash ROM with a pass through port integrated in the embedded controller selectively providing primary access to firmware by the chipset or the embedded controller. The pass through port provides chipset access to firmware without inducing delays for normal system operations, yet provides an integrated switch for control and access of the firmware by the embedded controller for updating of firmware settings and firmware diagnostics. Application of power to the embedded controller allows access to chipset firmware even where the chipset lacks power, such as during manufacture of the information handling system.

System and method for information handling system interoperable firmware storage

A keyboard system which includes a keyboard assembly and an embedded controller. The keyboard assembly includes a keyboard matrix and a keyscan controller coupled to the keyscan matrix. The keyscan controller receives position information from a pressed key of the keyboard matrix and generates basic keyscan information. The embedded controller receives the basic keyscan information and generates keycodes based upon the basic keyscan information.

Universal keyboard controller data protocol

In order to overcome the relatively short battery life and the relatively long delay between the activation and the actual functioning of a typical mobile computing system, the mobile computing system is provided with a personal computer (PC) architecture system and a personal digital assistant (PDA) architecture system, and a common display and shared peripherals. Interfacing to the systems is a super input output or embedded controller (SIO/EC) that acts as a slave device to whatever system has control of computing system. The SIO/EC controls a quick switch which blocks or allows communication along communication busses connecting the systems to the SIO/EC. A user can selectively change, by way of a user interface to the SIO/EC, to whatever system that is desired by the user.

Method of operating combination personal data assistant and personal computing device

Integrated pointing device and integrated keyboard inputs are accepted at a microcontroller that formats the inputs to the HID protocol and embeds the HID formatted inputs into SMBus messages for transfer over an SMBus to processing components of an information handling system. A state machine at the information handling system motherboard extracts the HID packets from the SMBus messages and provides the HID packets to HID registers for use by processing components. Keyboard and pointing device inputs communicated from integrated devices through an SMBus may be treated as trusted data separate from non-trusted inputs through external devices and buses.

System and method for communication of keyboard and touchpad inputs as HID packets embedded on a SMBus

A method for filtering events in a computing system using a low power device, Personal Data Assistant is provided. The filtering is done without the involvement of the processor of the computing system. The filtering of events include authorizing requests from wireless devices before the processor's resources are utilized. In a mobile computing system, pre filtering by low power device reduces the amount of time the processor needs to be active. The personal digital assistant also provides certain functionality of computing system and access to the resources of computing system without bringing up the system in a full power mode. When the processor is in active state, the personal digital assistant continues to authorize access requests from wireless device and also provides a peer-to-peer communication and exchange of general information with other wireless devices.

Method of filtering events in a combinational computing device

Combination personal data assistant and personal computing device

In order to allow a computer system in a multiple system architectures to continue operating while another system has control over common devices, a set of registers is provided for that computer system and the other computer systems in the computer architecture. A switch isolates the set of registers from other computer systems that do not need to access the particular register set. The switch also provides isolation of the computer system from the commonly controlled input and output peripheral devices. The computing systems may utilize similar processors or CPUs or they may be dissimilar processors or CPUs.

Peripheral switching device with multiple sets of registers for supporting an ACPI full-operation state

A notebook computer system having a base unit, a display panel, and display panel indication circuit for identifying the display panel includes a table of display panel IDs and corresponding display panel identification characteristics stored within the base unit. A display panel indicator circuit is provided for being disposed with the display panel, the display panel indicator including a panel ID unique to the type, resolution, and manufacturer of the display panel, the panel ID further including a prescribed count. The indicator circuit further includes a counter and a comparator. A clock signal is provided from the base unit to the display panel indicator circuit while simultaneously monitoring a clock signal count within the base unit. The clock signal is utilized by the display panel indicator circuit as an input to the indicator circuit counter to count from an initial count and wherein the count of the indicator circuit counter is compared with the prescribed panel ID count using the indicator circuit comparator. A signal is output to the base unit indicative of a count match upon the counter count becoming equal to the panel ID count. The clock signal from the base unit to the indicator circuit is disabled upon a recognition of the match signal by the base unit, and the monitored clock signal count is used within the base unit for accessing a corresponding panel ID in the table of display panel ID, further for obtaining corresponding display panel identification characteristics.

Method and apparatus for counter based liquid crystal display panel identification for a computer

A power loss detection system for a power supply including a main converter for providing regulated power, an activation circuit for mining on and off the main converter based on an active low activation signal, a standby power circuit for providing a standby power signal, and an internal pullup resistor coupled between the standby power and activation signals. The power supply asserts a power status signal indicative of the status of regulated power. Alternatively, an external detection circuit monitors the regulated power from the power supply and asserts a power loss signal indicative thereof. The control circuit asserts the activation signal low to turn on the main converter or floats the activation signal to turn off the main converter. If the power good or power loss signal indicates loss of regulated power, the control circuit floats the activation signal. If the activation signal goes or remains low after the activation signal is floated, then the power source has failed. If the activation signal is pulled high, then the power supply has failed. If the power supply has failed, then the control circuit asserts a failure signal indicative thereof. The present invention is particularly advantageous in a redundant power supply system for supplying power to a computer system, where both power supplies provide standby power.

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Ronald D Shaw